The Debaters
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The Debaters, (aka Master Debaters) is a Canadian radio comedy show that airs on CBC Radio One, with Shaun Majumder as its host. It airs Monday nights at 7:30PM, with repeats on Saturdays at 6:30PM (half an hour later in Newfoundland). First broadcast in September 2006, it replaced the long-running comedy show Madly Off in All Directions.
The premise of the show is to present two stand-up comedians with an topical matter to debate, with one serving as advocate and the other taking the contrary view. It is done in front of a live audience, who ultimately decide who the winner of the debate based on a mix of "funny and fact". Each show typically consists of two sets of debates.
There are four rounds in the show: the first allows the comedian to state their position on the issue, which is followed by the "bare-knuckle round" where the two debaters spar with each other directly. This is followed by the "rapid fire" round where the host quizzes the debaters on their knowledge of the subject, concluded by a one-minute summation. The live audience then votes by applauding for who they think won the debate.
While the show is known officially in CBC listings as The Debaters, ever since the third show in the series it has been announced as Master Debaters.
Performers who have appeared on the show include Al Rae, Deb Kimmet, Gary Jones, Irwin Barker, Paul Bay, Simon Rakoff, Scott Thompson and Elvira Kurt.
